The ongoing students’ movement of Jagannath University (JnU) that entered day 22 yesterday created some dramatic moments when a hall was recovered for only two minutes.
As per schedule, the agitating students brought out a procession from the campus around 11am in a bid to recover Shaheed Bazlur Rahman Hall located in Malitola area where City Corporation built Shahhed Ziaur Rahman High School in 2006.
As soon as the students’ procession reached Rayshaheb Bazar intersection, police stopped them with a barricade. Being intercepted, the students took position there and continued chanting slogans against the grabbers.
The students also blocked a road in the area that halted traffic movement on Sadarghat to Gulistan route. Fearing attacks and vandalism, businessmen shut down shops as well as restaurants.
Suddenly, JnU BCL unit President Shariful Islam and Secretary Shirajul Islam rushed to the spot with another procession and talking with police officials they crossed the barricade.
Then, both the leaders with some of their followers entered Bazlur Rahman Hall and hung a signboard at the dormitory around 12:30pm.
Mysteriously, some locals, who were present during the recovery, tore off the signboard and set it on fire just after two minutes.
When some of the BCL activists tried to protest, Shariful and Shirajul calmed them and left the place around 1pm.
Bazlur Rahman, principal of Ziaur Rahman School, told the Dhaka Tribune that although it was a hall of the then Jagannath College, the students had no right to hang a banner at an educational institute.
Asked about the short-period hall recovery, Shariful Islam, who is also convener of hall recovery Sangram Parishad, said: “We have peacefully recovered the hall and now it the duty of university authority to keep a hold on it.”
He also said they would continue their demonstrations until all of the dormitories of the university were covered.
On the other hand, such kind of attitudes of BCL leaders, who are leading the movement, raised questions among general students.
Several students of the university said the BCL leaders were playing a game with the general students in name of demonstrations.
They consulted with police before launching today’s agitation programmme and went to the dormitory where a banner on the grabbed property hung, but managed to stay there only for two minutes, they said.
Refusing such allegations, the BCL President Shariful Islam some vested quarters is spreading the rumour and were trying to foil the movement of students.
Apart from recovering the hall, the students also created a blockade, stopping traffic at Chittarangan Avenue.
Traffic movement on Sadarghat to Gulistan route resumed around 2pm after the students withdrew the barricade, said Harun-or-Rashid, deputy commissioner of police of Lalbagh division.
The students have been observing agitation programmes since February 12, demanding recovery of all of their dormitories grabbed by influential quarters.